Sea Stars are making a comeback on the West Coast, four years after a mysterious syndrome killed millions of them from the Mexico coast to the southern Alaskan coast.

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Updated: 1:43 PM PST Dec 28, 2017

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WEBVTT CHRISTOPHER: IT'S CALLED SEASTAR WASTING SYNDROME ANDAT THIS POIN BIOLOGISTS ARESTILL UNSURE ABOUT WHAT WHIPEDOUT OF MILLIONS OF SEA STARSALONG THE WEST COAST.SEA STARS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK.>> IT IS WONDERFUL IS WHAT ITIS.CHRISTOPHER: FOR THE PAST FOURYEARS, S STAR -- SEA STARWASTING SYNDROME HAS RAVAGEDWATERS FROM MEXICO TO SOUTHERNALASKATHIS CAUSED MILLIONS OF THEANIMALS TO LOSE THEIR ARMS,MELTING THEM INTO BLOBS OF MUSH.>> IT SEEM TO HIT THE BIGSUNFLOWER STAR FIRST ANDCASCADED DOWN INTO MOST OF THEOTHER SPECIES AND REALLYELIMINATED MOST OF THESE SPECITO A GREAT PERCENTAGE OUT HEREIN THE BAY AS WELL AS COASTALCALIFORNIA.CHRISTOPHER: SO FA THERECOVERY HAS BEEN PROMISING.>> WE SEE LITTLE GUYS THAT ARESMALL, HOPEFULLY THAT ISASSIGNED THEY ARE ON THE WAYBACK.CHRISTOPHER: SEA STARS ARE ALSOBEING SPOTTED IN SOUTHERNCALIFORNIA TIDE POOLHERE IN THE MONTEREY BAY, THESECREATURES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLEBALANCING OUR DELICATE MARINEECOSYSTEM.>> THEY ARE PREDATORS AND THEYHAVE PROFOUND IMPACTS ON THINGSLIKE MUSSELS AND SOME OF THEOTHER MOLLESKS AND BIVALS ANDSOME OF THE SHELLFISH OUT THERE.CHRISTOPHER: DESPITE THISDISEASE HAVING A REAL ANDVISIBLE EFFECT, TO THIS POINT,THERE HAS BEEN NO VISIBLE CAUSE.>> I SUSPECT THAT THERE WERENUMBER OF FACTORS, ALL OF WHICHHAD TO ALIGN SIMULTANIOUSLY TOHAVE THIS DEGREE OF MORTALITYEFFECT ON THE POPULATIONS.CHRISTOPHER: LEAVING THE REASONFOR RECOVERY A MYSTERY AS WELL.>> WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THRESULT OF POPULATIONS COMING IN,MAYBE IT WAS STABILIZATION OFENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, PERHAPSIT WAS THIS PHENOMENON CALLEDHERD IMMUNITY.THAT IS WHERE YOU HAVE A WHOLEBUNCH OF ANIMALS THAT AREEXPOSED, THEY SURVIVE AND PASSTHAT IMMUNITY ON AND AN OUTBREAKOF A DISEASE SORT OF DISSAPATES.CHRISTOPHER: WHILE HOPING THISGENERATION OF SEA STAR WILL BESTRONGER, AND BETTER THAN EVER.DR. MURRAY TOLD US ONE OF THREASONS HE STRONGLY BELIEVES AVIRUS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITHTHIS DISEASE IS AT THE MONTEREYBAY AQUARIUM, THEY HAVE A UNIQUESET UP WHERE THEY ALLOW SWATER INTO THEIR EXHIBITS,

Sea Stars making a comeback after syndrome killed millions

Sea Stars are making a comeback on the West Coast, four years after a mysterious syndrome killed millions of them from the Mexico coast to the southern Alaskan coast.